End of Season Draft Eligible OHL Rankings: Skaters 11-20

Part three of our rankings on Ontario Hockey League players eligible for the National Hockey League draft in June continues today. We previously focused on the top goaltenders and the skaters we ranked from 21-40.

We countdown the players and provide their statistics, where we ranked them in the last ranking and where NHL Central Scouting ranked them in their mid-term rankings. Once again, this list covers players eligible for the NHL draft for the first time. Players passed over in previous drafts are not included.

Garlent failed to reach his career highs in goals, assists and points but in all fairness, he was limited to 50 games because of injuries. He was averaging a point per game until he missed the entire month of November and never really returned to his early season success. The long season may have caught up to him along with the injuries.

Despite his size, Garlent is consistently one of the hardest workers on the ice. He plays much bigger than his size showing a willingness to go to the net, battle along the boards and get his nose dirty. Very accomplished in all 3 zones.

19. Ben Harpur – Guelph Storm

Previous Rank: 21

Central Scouting: 19

Date of Birth: January 12, 1995

Height: 6’5

Weight: 208

Hometown: Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

Stats: 67GP 3G 12A 15PTS

Position: Defence

Harpur cracks the top 20 at just the right time. He has the tremendous size that NHL scouts love. He’s an excellent skater for his size with good mobility. He has good puck skills and above average hockey IQ. He’s had 3 career OHL fights in two seasons so he’s not really a fighter.

He’s strong defensively with some offensive ability. He’s a converted forward with his OHL career being the first two full seasons he’s played on defence.

18. Nick Moutrey – Saginaw Spirit

Previous Rank: 17

Central Scouting: 14

Date of Birth: January 24, 1995

Height: 6’3

Weight: 208

Hometown: Shelburne, ON

Stats: 65GP 16G 27A 43PTS

Position: Left Wing

Moutrey set career highs in goals, assists and points this season. More importantly, he’s been consistent from beginning to end once he got into his groove. His longest pointless streak of the season was 4 gameswhile his longest point streak was 3 games.

Moutrey is already close to having NHL size and he uses it effectively. He doesn’t possess blazing speed but is a very effective north and south skater. He has a very high hockey IQ and an excellent passer. He’s not afraid of the dirty areas, boards, in front of the net or going in on the forecheck.

17. Cole Cassels – Oshawa Generals

Previous Rank: 16

Central Scouting: 16

Date of Birth: May 4, 1995

Height: 6’

Weight: 176

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario

Stats: 65GP 15G 28A 43PTS

Position: Center

Playing down on the depth chart in Oshawa, Cassels actually had a very good offensive season for the Generals. Once October came around, his longest pointless streak of the season was 3 games while his longest point streak was points in 5 of 6 games.

Cassels has average skating speed but uses his slick passing abilities well to move things north. He has a good shot, forehand and backhand. He’s not the biggest player but doesn’t shy away from the physical game. He’s strong on the back check but needs to make smarter decisions with passes in his own zone. Has the IQ to be successful and if he can improve his own zone thinking and add some speed to his skating, he could very well turn out to be a pretty effective NHL’er.

16. Stephen Harper – Erie Otters

Previous Rank: 15

Central Scouting: 13

Date of Birth: March 25, 1995

Height: 6’1

Weight: 195

Hometown: Burlington, Ontario

Stats: 67GP 18G 20A 38PTS

Position: Left Wing

Probably the biggest disappointment this season based on expectations from last season. He failed to reach his goal total from last season despite playing in more games although his 20 assists were an improvement over the 11 last season.

Harper has all the tools, including size, to be successful but on many nights he loses battles he shouldn’t be losing. Maybe it’s a lack of motivation, or a lack of work ethic, but I believe the right coach and system may be able to tap into that potential.

15. Nicholas Baptiste – Sudbury Wolves

Previous Rank: 18

Central Scouting: 25

Date of Birth: August 4, 1995

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 190

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario

Stats: 66GP 21G 27A 48PTS

Position: Right Wing

If Baptiste’s first half of the season was anywhere near his second half, he’d still be talked about as the number 7 ranked player he was during the pre-season rankings. Despite the slow start, he finished 9th among draft eligible players in points and 8th in goals. A strong playoff showing could move him up higher.

Baptiste has good size and uses it effectively. He’s a very good skater and comes with an excellent scoring touch. He uses his size and speed on the forecheck tremendously well. He can find open lanes and has a drive for the net. He also plays in any and all situations.

14. Zach Nastasiuk – Owen Sound Attack

Previous Rank: 14

Central Scouting: 11

Date of Birth: March 30, 1995

Height: 6’1

Weight: 191

Hometown: Barrie, Ontario

Stats: 62GP 20G 20A 40PTS

Position: Right Wing

When “Nasty” puts up points, they seem to come in small bunches and will often go a few games without registering a point. But all the other things he does can’t be ignored. He opens up space for his teammates just by being on the ice. He is very strong defensively and plays in all situations.

His nickname Nasty pretty much describes his play. Tough along the boards and down low and hard to beat physically. Has some offensive ability and could become more consistent if he could improve his skating speed.

13. Jimmy Lodge – Saginaw Spirit

Previous Rank: 13

Central Scouting: 9

Date of Birth: March 5, 1995

Height: 6’2

Weight: 166

Hometown: Downingtown, PA

Stats: 64GP 28G 39A 67PTS

Position: Left Wing

Like Baptiste, a very strong second half vaulted Lodge. He finished third in scoring with the Spirit while finishing 4th among draft eligible players in points, 5th in goals, 4th in assists and 5th in powerplay goals.

Lodge has good size but will need to fill out his frame. He is a very good skater and has a very high hockey IQ. He isn’t afraid of the dirty areas, will drive the net hard will score the dirty goals and can beat you with a shot. His playmaking abilities have improved as the season has progressed adding another dimension to his offense. At this pace, up is the only place left to go for Lodge.

12. Jordan Subban – Belleville Bulls

Previous rank: 12

Central Scouting: 20

Date of Birth: March 3, 1995

Height: 5’9

Weight: 177

Hometown: Rexdale, Ontario

Stats: 68GP 12G 36A 48PTS

Position: Defence

I’ve set it before: size will be his downfall but make no mistake, he has the talent. Led all draft eligible defensemen in goals, assists and points, 8th among all draft eligible players in points, first in shootout percentage and 6th in plus/minus.

Subban is a borderline elite skater who possesses an ability to make a great first pass or skate the puck in transition almost without effort. He has an underrated shot and is a powerplay quarterback, although his powerplay ice time has decreased since trade deadline. But we have to mention his size here as that will be what many will look at first.

11. Ryan Kujawinski – Kingston Frontenacs

Previous Rank: 8

Central Scouting: 18

Date of Birth: March 30, 1995

Height: 6’2

Weight: 205

Hometown: Iroqouis Falls, Ontario

Stats: 66GP 17G 31A 48PTS

Position: Center

Another disappointment after last season just like Harper. After his trade to Kingston last season, Kujawinski showed a lot of promise offensively. And while he surpassed last season’s totals, they were not near what was expected. He finished 10th among draft eligible players in points and 7th in assists

More a shooter than a playmaker, Kujawinski has good size, is a good skater with a very good release on his shot. Inconsistency is the issue with him this season. And like Harper is losing battle he should be winning. A stronger work ethic and a commitment to that work ethic would solve his consistency issues.

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